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The Australian Open men’s singles semi-finalists consist of two of the old guard and two debutants.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have seen and done it all before, famously setting the record for the longest final in history at Melbourne Park when Djokovic triumphed in 2012.

Both are chasing records with Djokovic looking to assume sole ownership of the most Australian Open men’s singles titles, while Nadal is seeking to become the first man in the Open Era to win every Grand Slam event twice or more.

Lucas Pouille and Stefanos Tsitsipas – who will stand across the net from the top-two seeds – are both making their first appearance in the semi-final of a major.

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Can they produce the mother of all upsets and both reach the final?

Here we take a look at the matches and offer a prediction…

Rafael Nadal v Stefanos Tsitsipas

Nadal has been on fire (Picture: AFP/Getty)

The Spaniard has been in exceptional form on his return to competitive action after an injury lay-off, finishing points seemingly quicker than ever with his forehand at its terrifying best.

Nadal, a 17-time Grand Slam winner, has enjoyed a scenic tour of some of the Next Gen stars in Melbourne, beating Alex de Minaur and Frances Tiafoe before he faces off with Tsitsipas for the third time.

The first two meetings between the pair came in finals, with Nadal beating Tsitsipas on the clay in Barcelona and on a hard court in Toronto, but the Greek will arrive with renewed confidence.

Nadal v Tsitsipas

Current ranking

Nadal: 2
Tsitsipas: 15

Best Grand Slam result

Nadal: Champion (Australian Open 2009, French Open x11, Wimbledon x2, US Open x3)
Tsitsipas: Semi-final (Australian Open 2019)

Tsitsipas stunned two-time defending champion Roger Federer in round four before following up that victory with a fine win against Nadal’s compatriot Roberto Bautista Agut.

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He’s already stated his hope that he can beat Federer, Nadal and then Djokovic en route to his first Slam title but this promises to be a very tough encounter against the in-form Spaniard.

What have they said?

Nadal: ‘When you face these young players, they are in permanent improvement. He’s with confidence. He won a lot of good matches. Will be a tough one.

‘For me is always the same: you are in the semifinals of a Grand Slam, you can’t expect an easy opponent. Stefanos is one of the best players of the world. To have the chance to be in that final, I need to play my best, and that’s what I am looking for.’

Can Tsitsipas spring a shock? (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Tsitsipas: ‘I played him once, once on clay, once hard court. I felt very close of beating him in Toronto, though the score was 6-2, 7-6. I remember coming back to the locker room and promising to myself I’m going to do much better against him next time. It felt like I understood a bit better what he was doing on the court after that match, and especially on hard court.

‘On clay, it was a different story. I felt like I had no chance after losing in Barcelona 6-1, 6-2. I felt like he’s on completely another level on clay than on hard.

‘It’s going to be interesting. I feel all right with my game. I feel like I can do something good against him.’

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Prediction: This promises to be a fabulous match. Tsitsipas has wowed crowds with his dynamic playing style but now faces a player in terrifying form. There is perhaps some hope for the Athenian that Nadal was icing his abdomen after his quarter-final win – an injury that he struggled with in the back end of 2018. Still, Nadal is not showing any signs of physical pain on court and I’m expecting him to get the job done in four.

Novak Djokovic vs Lucas Pouille

Will Djokovic come out on top? (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

The Serb is yet to hit top form but looked to be striking the ball very well against Kei Nishikori before the Japanese retired.

It’s been a bit of a strange tournament for the world No. 1 in many ways. He’s never seriously looked in danger of going out but hasn’t always looked comfortable.

Complaints of a back problem could provide an explanation behind his displays but the worry for his French opponent is that he will suddenly raise his level when it really matters.

Djokovic v Pouille

Current ranking

Djokovic: 1
Pouille: 31

Best Grand Slam result

Djokovic: Champion (Australian Open x6, French Open 2016, Wimbledon x 4, US Open x 3)
Pouille: Semi-final (Australian Open 2019)

Pouille has never faced the 14-time major winner, although the pair have practised together several times in the past, and he faces a challenge of producing his best form on his debut in a Slam semi-final.

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After a tough 2018, the appointment of Amelie Mauresmo appears to be working wonders and he can enter this match with little to lose.

What have they both said?

Djokovic: ‘I always thought he’s a great quality player. I mean, what he has done this tournament is fantastic. He has won against some top players. Of course Milos, Coric in the last round. He struggled a little bit with consistency of his results in the last two years.

‘But with the quality of the tennis that he possesses, he deserves to be definitely at the top 15, maybe top 10 of the world. He’s got that quality and potential, no question about it.

‘It’s funny that we’re going to play first time against each other. We’ve practised many times. We’ve known each other obviously for a long time. Here we go. We’ll see. It’s the semifinals. We both, I’m sure, want to get to the finals. Hopefully we can both be fresh and fit and put on the great show.’

Pouille is hoping to reach the final (Picture; Getty Images)

Pouille: ‘Last year I lost a bit of joy to be on the court, didn’t want to live in tournament, all this stuff.

‘Started a new adventure with my team, with Amelie, with Loïc [Martin]. I think that was the great thing for me. I want to practice. I enjoy being on the court again. That’s the most important.’

Prediction: Pouille has enjoyed a great run but I’m expecting Djokovic to step up and produce. A short quarter-final will benefit him hugely if his back is giving him grief and he should be back towards his best in this encounter. If he’s on form, he’ll win in straight sets.